On the evening of Friday, October 25th,  Richard Chacon's life was tragically turned upside down when his home in Santa Fe Springs, CA caught fire and suffered near total structural damage. Richard was not home at the time, but unfortunately two of his beloved dogs, Jack (a chihuahua, age 10) and Lele (a Pomeranian, age 7) lost their lives in the blaze.

The house that Richard lost is also his childhood home, which he took over in 2006 after years of taking care of his mother and her worsening health. Over the past couple years, Richard has also struggled with Oculopharyngeal Muscular Dystrophy. OPMD is a rare genetic muscle disorder that affects the eyes and throat for which there is no cure, leaving Richard on permanent disability, and making everyday life for him a struggle. Because of his ailment, he cannot work, but lived comfortably at his home until he was devastated by this accident.

Not only did the fire take his home and pets, but he also lost nearly all his belongings, and any sense of normalcy in his life. He is currently living with his brother and his family, and arrived there with nothing but the clothes on his back.

Richard is my uncle, and to say that he is selfless in an understatement. He has given so generously to me and my family, showed up to every milestone in my and my siblings' lives, and has shown that he is a caring and loving individual for as long as I can remember. I would love for my Uncle Rich to be happy and comfortable in the confides of a home he can call his own, but as of now rebuilding the house is a seemingly impossible feat. With help, we hope to try and at least be able to soften the blow of all this through any means possible. Thank you all for taking the time to read this.

God bless you.